A Guide To Slips And Trips In A Kitchen Compensation Claims

By Jo Anderson. Last Updated 5th January 2024. Are you wondering whether you could make a personal injury claim for slips or trips in a kitchen? Have you been injured in an accident at work? Throughout this guide, we explain who could be eligible to claim, what compensation could be achieved and how a solicitor can be beneficial to your case.

Additionally, we will discuss various examples of how you could be injured in a slip or trip accident at work and who could be liable. Furthermore, we will explore how much compensation you could potentially receive for your injuries.

However, if you would prefer to discuss your potential claim, our team of friendly advisors are here to help. Our advisors can answer any of your personal injury questions and offer you free legal advice 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 

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a cartoon of a man slipping over and falling

A Guide To Slips And Trips In A Kitchen Compensation Claims

Select A Section

  1. What Are Slips And Trips In A Kitchen?
  2. Causes Of Trips And Slips In A Kitchen
  3. What Injuries Could Trips In A Kitchen Cause?
  4. How To Prevent Slips And Trips On Kitchen Floors
  5. Payouts For Slips And Trips In A Kitchen
  6. Contact Us About No Win No Fee Kitchen Accident Claims

What Are Slips And Trips In A Kitchen? 

Various people could need access to a kitchen as part of their job. This can include chiefs, servers and catering staff. Kitchens could pose risks for slip and trip accidents this is due to many different aspects such as drink spillages, dropped food, cleaned floors, oily surfaces, and washing dishes, to name but a few.

Also, depending on where you slip or trip, you could potentially crash into kitchen equipment, such as an oven, which could make the severity of your injuries worse. Your employer has a duty of care to take reasonably practicable steps to provide as far as possible a safe working environment. We shall discuss their duty of care to you in a later section of this guide. 

To be eligible to make a personal injury claim following a trip in a kitchen at work, you will need to show that at the time of the incident, your employer owed you a duty of care. They will need to have breached this duty, and as a result, you will have suffered an injury

For more information regarding a valid accident at work claim, contact our advisors today.

Is There A Time Limit For Making A Kitchen Accident Claim?

When claiming compensation for a slip and fall in a kitchen you will only have a limited period in which to file your claim. The personal injury claims time limit for kitchen accidents would be three years from the date of the accident. This is per the Limitation Act 1980.

However, there may be some claims that are different.

For example, if someone under the age of 18 were injured while working in a kitchen, they would not be able to file a claim for themselves until they turn 18. However, before they turn 18, a litigation friend could be appointed to claim on their behalf instead. Should this happen, the litigation friend would have until the child’s 18th birthday to file a claim.

In addition, if someone suffers injuries in a kitchen accident but they lack the mental capacity to claim for themselves, the limitation period would freeze indefinitely. If the person regains capacity, they could file their own claim and would have three years from their recovery date to do so. However, they could only do this if a litigation friend had not brought a claim on their behalf already.

To learn more about what limitation period applies for personal injury claims following slips and trips in a kitchen, please contact an advisor.

Causes Of Trips And Slips In A Kitchen 

There are various ways you could suffer a slip or trip accident if you work in a kitchen, for example:

  • The kitchen floor is not suitable for a kitchen environment, as it is very slippery, which could result in someone slipping.
  • You trip over some appliance wires that haven’t been properly hidden away.
  • An appliance, such as a fridge, is leaking. You could then slip on this leak.
  • Wet slippery floors due to cleaning, spillages, dropped food or oily floors from cooking.

However, as we said in the previous section, in order to make a legitimate claim for slips and trips in a kitchen, you must prove that you were injured due to your employer breaching their duty of care.

Call one of our advisors today for further guidance regarding slip, trip or fall claims.

What Injuries Could Trips In A Kitchen Cause? 

There are various injuries that you could suffer due to slips or trips in a kitchen. Additionally, depending on the nature of the accident, the severity of your injuries could vary. Some potential injuries you could suffer from include:

  • Fractures and breaks, such as a broken kneecap or broken wrist.
  • Cuts and scrapes.
  • Strains and sprains, such as a sprained ankle.
  • Ligament or tendon injuries.
  • Head injuries (that could potentially cause brain damage depending on the severity of the injury).
  • Dislocations, such as a dislocated shoulder.

Slip And Trip Statistics

According to statics provided by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), employers reported that in 2020/21, 51,211 employees suffered a non-fatal injury. These reports were made in accordance with the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR).

Based on these reports made by employers, the HSE reported that the most common types of accidents in the workplace were:

  1. Slips, trips, and falls on the same level (33%).
  2. Handling, lifting or carrying (18%).
  3. Struck by a moving object (10%).

How To Prevent Slips And Trips On Kitchen Floors 

No matter where you work or what kind of job you do, whether in an office, a supermarket or a kitchen, your employer owes you a duty of care. Per this duty of care, your employer must take reasonably possible steps to keep you safe whilst in the workplace and performing work-related duties. This duty of care can be found in the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASAWA).

Additionally, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 states that employers should perform regular risk assessments (including slip and trip risks) and take action to control these risks.

If your employer doesn’t perform regular risk assessments, they could be breaching their duty of care. 

Contact our advisors today for more information regarding claiming for a trip in a kitchen while at work. 

Payouts For Slips And Trips In A Kitchen 

If your personal injury claim for slips and trips in a kitchen is successful, your compensation settlement may be divided into two heads of damages. These are:

  1. Special damages. – Any financial losses you suffered due to your injury could be compensated via special damages. These can include travel expenses and lost wages. For your claim for special damages to be successful, you will need to provide evidence, such as bank statements or invoices.
  2. To be eligible for special damages, you must first qualify for general damages. – Any psychological or physical harm could be compensated via general damages. Again, you will need to provide evidence for your claim to be successful, such as a copy of your medical records.

When valuing personal injury claims, many solicitors will use a document called the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) to help them.

Taking this into account, we have created the following table for you using the compensation brackets outlined within the 16th edition of the JCG. How much you could receive will depend on your specific claim.

Edit
Injury Comments Amount
Combinations of serious injuries resulting in financial losses and costs. Multiple serious injuries causing suffering, pain and financial losses including medical expenses and loss of earnings, for example. Up to £1,000,000+
Injuries to the Pelvis and Hips (a) Severe (i) – Extensive fractures that cause dislocation of lower back joints and a ruptured bladder. £78,400 to £130,930
Neck Injuries (a) Severe (ii) – Disabilities caused by severe fractures to discs in the cervical spine. £65,740 to £130,930
Knee Injuries (a) Severe (i) – Serious disruption of the knee joint. This will cause immense pain and will require lengthy treatment. £69,730 to £96,210
Leg Injuries (b) Severe (iii) – Injuries to the joints or ligaments, or serious comminuted or compound fractures in the leg. It will need prolonged treatment and may cause instability in the leg. £39,200 to £54,830
Injury Resulting from Brain Damage (d) Less Severe – The person will still suffer from poor concentration and memory, however, there will have been a significant recovery and will be able to participate in social and work activities. £15,320 to £43,060
Wrist Injuries (b) Some useful wrist movement remains, despite a significant disability. £24,500 to £39,170
Back Injuries (b) Moderate (ii) – The muscles and ligaments in the back have been disturbed, which causes backache. The injury may also accelerate a pre-existing condition by 5+ years. £12,510 to £27,760
Ankle Injuries (c) Moderate – Difficulty walking or standing for long periods due to ligamentous tears or fractures in the ankle. £13,740 to £26,590
Shoulder Injuries (b) Serious – A dislocated shoulder that causes shoulder and neck pain. Symptoms will include a weak grip. £12,770 to £19,200
Other Arm Injuries (d) A simple fracture in the forearm. £6,610 to £19,200

Contact us today for some free legal advice concerning your claim.

Contact Us About No Win No Fee Kitchen Accident Claims

If you decide you would like to go forward with your personal injury claim, an experienced solicitor from our team could take on your claim with a No Win No Fee agreement. With a No Win No Fee agreement, you will not have to pay your solicitor for their services if the claim fails. Alternatively, you will pay them a small percentage of your compensation (a success fee) if they win your claim. There are different types of No Win No Fee agreements, one of them being a Conditional Fee Agreement.

If you would like more information regarding personal injury claims for trips in a kitchen, you can contact our advisors. Our team can offer you free legal advice regarding your specific claim 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 

Speak with us today:

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Contact us today for more information regarding personal injury claims for trips in a kitchen.